In the Shadows
by heyytheremickey
Summary: Everyone always remembers the Rookie 9. Very few remember the other 18 graduates that year - the ones who were unable to pass the survival exercise the first time. And why would they? We weren't Jinchuriki, avengers, or the front runners for saving the world. When it comes down to it, from the outside, we probably didn't look like much at all. But I'm here to prove you wrong.
1. The Misfit 18

**Disclaimer: All canon characters from the** _ **Naruto**_ **franchise belong to Masashi Kishimoto. All original characters belong to me. Thank you!**

* * *

 **In the Shadows**

 _Prologue: The Misfit 18_

* * *

It was a cool October day, five years ago. I'd sat in the back of the stark Academy classroom, keeping mostly to myself and my frenzy of thoughts. The room was filled with individuals my age, proudly sporting Konoha's hitai-ate and speaking excitedly to one another. Next to me, Hana-chan and Rei-chan wondered if the three of us would be placed together on the same team.

Absentmindedly, I'd twirled a lock of blonde hair between my fingers. Tugging at the hitai-ate around my upper right arm and fidgeting in my seat, I'd been almost oblivious to them and the commotion taking place a few rows in front of me. However, when I'd noticed Uzumaki-san and Uchiha-san locking lips, I was fully alert and sat erect in disbelief. I remember Hana and Rei had burst out laughing, while I turned fifty shades of red and looked away from them.

Seconds later, our Sensei had entered the room and quieted everyone down. After congratulating everyone for passing the exams, Iruka-sensei had begun calling out names, placing us in squadrons of three. I'd held my breath, worry most likely etched in my every feature. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long, as I was on Team 2; unfortunately, I was not placed with either of my best friends. Instead, my team consisted of myself and two boys named Akihiko Surada-san and Shinjiro Yuki-san.

Realistically though, you, the reader, don't know anything about these people. Minus, of course, Naruto Uzumaki-san and Sasuke Uchiha-san. But I mean, who _doesn't_ know them? Naruto Uzumaki: the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, son of the Fourth Hokage, and basically the savior of the entire Shinobi universe. Sasuke Uchiha: the last of the Uchiha clan, the aforementioned clan's avenger, and another savior of the Shinobi universe. If our lives were some graphic novel, those two would surely hold center stage at least ninety-percent of the time.

But what about us? What about Hana and Rei, Aki and Shin? What of me, Nadeshiko Yamato?

That was one thing Iruka-sensei failed to tell us all that day.

We were all bright-eyed twelve year olds, ready for whatever came next after our years at the Academy. No one told us then that only nine of the twenty-seven graduates would actually become ninja. No one told us we'd be sent back to the Academy seconds after finally being release. No one told us we'd be forgotten.

But we were. We weren't the Rookie 9. We were the Misfit 18.

* * *

 **New story! I promise real chapters will be longer. Despite how this may sound so far, the story is actually very canon-character-centered. Many of the OCs will only be briefly referenced throughout the story, either in flashback or what-say-you. The main character, Nadeshiko Yamato, as well as maybe one or two other OCs, will be probably the only truly recurrent OC.**

 **Either way though, I hope this sounds interesting! It's been awhile since I messed around with Naruto fanfiction, but I'm really excited for this!**

 ***ALSO*: if you are a fan of the anime K (AKA: K Project), I'll be writing a story for that soon as well! So keep an eye out for that!**

 **Sayonara!**


	2. We All Have Scars

**Disclaimer: All canon characters from the** _ **Naruto**_ **franchise belong to Masashi Kishimoto. All original characters belong to me. Thank you!**

* * *

 **In the Shadows**

 _Chapter 1: We All Have Scars_

* * *

"Oh my god," Nadeshiko groaned, fastening her blonde hair into a tasteful messy bun with one hand and pushing passed the front door of her cottage with the other. "Of course I slept in today of all days, of- _freaking_ -course."

Today marked the one month anniversary of the conclusion of the Fourth Shinobi World War – November 17th. In the past month, reconstruction and restoration processes have been initiated to restore Konoha and the surrounding countries to their greatness. On top of that, many peace initiatives were made between the Kages to prevent another war such as the past one from ever happening again. For the first time in years, everyone began to feel safe again. The Shinobi world had finally begun a new, prosperous age of peace and community.

However, today also represented Nadeshiko Yamato's first day back at Nayamashii Tea, a small teahouse situated at the core of Konoha. And, though she had been awake before the sun broke horizon every day for the past two years, today of all days her internal clock decided to malfunction. Unable to waste time, Nadeshiko skipped applying makeup to ensure her cerulean kimono and blonde hair were up to par with her work's standards. Hopefully, she thought as she burst out the door and onto the dirt road, her boss wouldn't mind her taking a few extra minutes to freshen up before sending her off to customers.

The air was crisp and sweet as Nadeshiko booked it through the bustling streets. Her Geta shoes pounded heavily against the ground and the blonde cursed herself. These were not the type of shoes to be running in.

"Oh!" she realized, thrusting her right foot in the air and snatching one shoe off her foot, then the other. She grinned proudly at the wooden sandals, saying, "There, there. That'll do."

However, just as she finished admiring her brilliant idea and was about to set off running, Nadeshiko ran straight into someone crossing her path and nearly fell backwards. The man she ran into quickly steadied her.

"Woah there," the man commented, holding onto Nadeshiko's shoulders. "That was close!"

The blonde girl, suddenly feeling shy and self-conscious of her shoelessness, peered curiously and silently up at the man. His warm, boyish voice was too familiar, and as she studied his features – tousled brown hair, upside-down red triangles, and sideways grin – she immediately recognized him as Kiba Inuzuka. Though he continued smiling at her, Kiba slowly notice her surprised expression rescind into a deep grimace.

"Hey," he began, bending over slight so he was more at her height. "Are you–?"

Nadeshiko backed out of his grasp and stared down at her white socks. Her cheeks were flushed bright red and her jaw was clenched tight. Finally, she bowed, quickly thanked the Inuzuka, and was off running again toward Nayamashii Tea, leaving the seventeen year old man watching her with a confused expression until the blonde in the cerulean kimono was no longer in sight.

When Nadeshiko burst into the little teahouse, she was a complete mess. Her breath came out deep and heavy from exertion. Beads of sweat ran down from her forehead and off her chin onto the silky kimono. Blond strands of hair stuck up in every direction off her face. And worst yet, her white socks were stained brown from running through the dirt. If it wasn't for the fact that no customers had arrived yet, Nadeshiko probably would have died from embarrassment right there.

Behind the counter, a short, auburn haired girl stared at her employee with a concealed grin. Leaning up against the front counter, the red head cooed, "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up!" Nadeshiko's face flushed and she quickly put her sandals back on her now soiled feet.

"I am so sorry, Higarashi-san," Nadeshiko apologized, head bowed as she rushed from the dining area to the backroom toward a mirror to apply mascara and lipstick.

"Call me Miu!" she whined after the humiliated blonde. "I know it's been awhile since we've been open, but you should know better! We're friends, Shi-chan!"

Nadeshiko rubbed her lips together after applying a light lip tint to her bottom lip, and turned to look at her boss. Though she looked and acted much younger, Miu Higarashi was a couple years older than her and was the boss of Nayamashii Tea. She was one-hundred percent civilian, having never attended the Academy and instead had taken up her family's business. The red-head was always seen wearing festive orange and red kimonos, and it was her decree that all employees of the teahouse wear one as well. While this certainly attracted many customers, like many businesses, the tea shop failed to produce profit when the War had begun, and thus was forced to close. However, now that there was a period of peace across the world, Nayamashii Tea was back up and running.

After throwing her work makeup back in her satchel, Nadeshiko took to fixing her hair and responding to her excitable boss. "Yes, yes. We're friends, Miu."

"That's what I thought," Miu grinned, leaning against the doorframe. Then, she jabbed the blonde in the side. "So what have you been up to? There really isn't much for our type to do with a World War going on. But hey, that's all fine and dandy with me!" The auburn haired girl crossed her arms over her chest and nodded to herself. "Yup, let the ninja handle it, I say! Ooh, like that Uzumaki-kun and Uchiha-kun!"

As Miu swooned, Nadeshiko's jaw visibly clenched and her lips again pressed into a line. The last thing she wanted to listen to was people talking about _them_ and how _cool_ and _amazing_ they are. As if there weren't others on the sideline who were just as helpful, just as amazing, and just as capable of handling themselves and protecting others. But she swallowed back her pride, and continued again with her hair.

Next to her, Miu was now studying her friend's face. _What a curious girl_ , she thought to herself, placing a finger delicately on her lips as if trying to figure out what she'd said to earn such a bitter reaction. However, just as she was about to comment, a small tinkling sound rang from the front. Miu and Nadeshiko simultaneously turned to look at the clock (it was opening time), then each other (" _Eek! First customer!_ "), and then out the backroom door. However, Miu sped too quickly out the door so Nadeshiko was unable to see who the first customers were. She could, however, hear her boss greet them.

"Ohayo!" Nadeshiko heard, though muffled, through the closed door. "Welcome to –"

Silence.

Nadeshiko paused from her work on her hair and stared at the closed door leading to the dining room. When Miu said nothing further, Nadeshiko bit her lip and peered at herself in the mirror. After deeming herself to be public-ready, she slowly approached the door and pressed her ear against it. She listened carefully for any hint of noise. After a moment, she heard a low murmur of voices; however, none of them matched Miu's and they were all a bit far off, as if they were near the entrance still. Biting her lip a bit harder, she considered her options, their risks, and their benefits. Deciding she wouldn't be able to live with herself if the first customers were going to kill her boss, Nadeshiko grasped the doorknob and slowly peaked out to the front area.

First, all she could see was Miu. From what she could tell, her skin tone nearly matched the redness of her hair. She was leaning carefully back against the wall, and her eyes were trained on the front door as if in a trance. Nadeshiko raised her eyebrow, unsure what was wrong with her boss and decided to just swing the rest of the door open.

And instantly, she regretted it.

Standing in the entrance, adorned in their distinguishable ninja gear, was the last nine people she wanted to see.

" _I will not serve them!_ " Nadeshiko hissed to Miu, her back to Rookie 9 who were now seated at a window seat at the front of the room. Miu rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't know what your problem is with them," the red head commented, a grin decorating her lips. "It's not like they're bad people, and I mean they _were_ basically a huge part of the reason we're all still alive and –"

" _I. Don't. Care._ " Nadeshiko's acerbic tone send a shiver down Miu's back. She was not accustomed to this Nadeshiko; the Nadeshiko she knew was much more composed and shy than this one. Even so, her boss shook her head, sighed, and ran a hand through her hair.

"I know how much you dislike serving attractive ninja," Miu deadpanned, earning an agitated snort from her friend, "but it can't be helped. The other employees couldn't make it back today, so it's just you and me. And as much as _I_ would love the opportunity to talk to some War heroes, between the two of us I'm willing to bet I'm the only one who remembers how to make the tea and snacks."

As much as Nadeshiko didn't want to admit it, Miu had a point. The blonde sighed in defeat and Miu squealed, knowing she'd just won the argument. Spinning her around, Miu grasped both Nadeshiko's shoulders firmly and faced her toward the nine famous ninja. The blonde's nostrils flared as her eyes fell on the group. Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha. Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame. Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara.

They were all there.

Suddenly, Miu shoved Nadeshiko forward with a small giggle, and the blonde lunged forward toward the group. Despite no one else seeming to notice the exchange, Nadeshiko hid her warming face with the back of her hand and glared at Miu. She grinned back and sent her a thumbs up. With a frown, the fuming blonde girl snatched a kettle of tea and started toward the table. _I'll just get this done quickly and then just never go back to their table,_ she decided on her short trip to the front of the dining area.

Just before reaching the table, Nadeshiko took a deep breath. "Welcome to–"

"Hey!" Kiba sat up and pointed straight at Nadeshiko's chest. "You're the girl from earlier!"

Nadeshiko grimaced at both the situation and the knowledge that Miu was most certainly cackling back behind the counter.

The dark-blue haired Hinata peered confusedly at her teammate. In her soft voice, she wondered, "D-Do you know th-this girl, Kiba?"

Trying to move passed this situation, the blonde began again, "Welcome to–"

"Yeah!" Kiba interrupted again, answering Hinata's question. "She ran into me this morning!" Nadeshiko's cheeks flushed and she turned her face away from the table with a small frown. So much for getting this done quickly.

"I see," Hinata breathed, redirecting her attention to the embarrassed blonde standing in front of her. As she studied her features, she couldn't help but find the girl looked somewhat familiar to her as well, but she wasn't sure why. She peered around the table, but everyone else was focused on the menu instead of the girl just in front of them. Following suit, Hinata lowered her eyes to her own menu.

After a few seconds of complete silence, Nadeshiko decided she'd try again to introduce herself. Looking at the group with her best glowing smile, she started again, "Welcome to–"

"No way!" the blonde boy – Naruto Uzumaki – shouted. "You have ramen here?! This place has everything!"

Nadeshiko began to fume again, as Sakura hissed back, "Naruto, keep your voice down!" In her hands, the tea kettle was starting to grow cool. At this rate, the table would end up with iced tea instead.

 _Not my fault_ , Nadeshiko reasoned, _they keep interrupting me. Just breathe Nadeshiko. Breathe. In and out…_ Her eyes fell on the raven-haired boy just to her left as his teammates began bickering over how loud one could talk in the tea shop. Without meaning to, she reminisced to the early days when she'd first met him. When he was half the height he was now, when he could barely throw a kunai straight. When he actually smiled. _But times have changed since then_ , Nadeshiko thought with a heavy heart and serious expression, _a lot_.

Just as she was about to avert her eyes from his black hair, Sasuke looked up just in time to catch her blue eyes on him. Instantly, her eyes went wide as she locked onto his eye – one a bright red Mangekyou Sharingan, the other the ringed purple Rinnegan – and her breath caught in her throat as all too familiar images played out like videos in her head, from her childhood to now. It was as if she'd blacked out or, worse yet, died.

And suddenly, the images vanished as pain erupted from her back and another, sharper pain shot up her leg, causing her to wince. Surprised, Nadeshiko peered down at her left foot just in time to see blood seeping through her white stockings. Around and on top of her foot was pieces of glass from the tea kettle. In front of her, Rookie 9 stared at her in disbelief. Behind her, Miu was doing the same.

"Ah…" Nadeshiko breathed, bowing her head to hide her own confusion and shame. "P-Please excuse me. Miu will take your orders when you are ready." And without allowing any of them to interrupt her again, she flew away from their table, passed a confused Miu, and into the bathroom, locking it behind her.

Outside, she heard Miu ask if she needed anything, to which she replied with a simple _no thank you._ When she was sure Miu was no longer at the bathroom door, Nadeshiko knelt to the ground and ripped off her stocking to inspect her foot. Fortunately, it didn't look as though there were any glass shards imbedded in her skin; however, it was bleeding quite heavily from the gashes now decorating it. But, before she could begin fixing that up, Nadeshiko turned to face the full-length mirror and began pull off her kimono until it hung lazily from her hips. Still kneeling, she spun around until her bare back faced the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she turned her head to look over her shoulder into the mirror.

Staring back at her was a deep, grotesque scar spanning from the back of her left shoulder to the small of her back. She traced part of it with her fingers, before sighing and leaning back against the cold glass with her right leg stretched out and left leg bent just in front of her. Staring at her bloodied left foot blankly, she slowly brought her hands up and made a few hand signs. Suddenly, her palm glowed white, which she then placed on her foot. Instantly, she felt the pain dulling until it was merely uncomfortable. As the glow dissipated, Nadeshiko stared at the door, imagining what could possibly be happening just beyond it right now after that scene she'd just made. What Miu would say to her after the Rookie 9 had come and gone.

"'I mean they _were_ basically a huge part of the reason we're all still alive,'" Nadeshiko mocked her boss bitterly but forlornly, pulling her legs into her chest and wrapping her arms around them. After resting her chin on her knees, she hissed, "They weren't the only ones on the battlefield risking their lives, you know."

But she would continue to swallow her pride. Even if that meant hiding the truth as well.

* * *

 **Told you the real updates/chapters would be longer! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have a pretty clear idea where I plan on taking this story now (don't ask what's changed between today and yesterday when I posted the prologue.**

 **Also - this story is most likely going to be a SasukexOC type of romance. Why? Well... because I enjoy trying to make a romance with characters that so clearly oppose it. Or at least, don't really understand what love is. **

**Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Always appreciate them ^^**

 **Oh! And finally, I might start asking people to give me OCs/names for OCs. Mostly because I lose inspiration when I need to name a lot of people. And I have an idea for the other Misfit 18. So look out for that - I may want to include some of you in my story!**

 **Now I'm done. Sayonara!**


	3. Recognition

**Disclaimer: All canon characters from the** _ **Naruto**_ **franchise belong to Masashi Kishimoto. All original characters belong to me. Thank you!**

* * *

 **In The Shadows**

 _Chapter 2: Recognition_

* * *

Nadeshiko sat behind the front desk of Nayamashii Tea with the most unpleasant of expressions. Her lips were pressed so far into a line that they were barely visible, and her blue eyes – thought shaded by her long blonde bangs – were visibly dark with contempt as she peered around the busy dining room of the teahouse.

Anyone who happened to catch a glance of the troubled woman couldn't help but shiver and sweat-drop nervously.

It had been a week since she had returned to work and, thus, a week since her 'scene', as Miu liked to refer to it. The other waitresses had slowly begun to return to work, which was well-timed seeing as the teahouse had really started to kick off to its regular business level prior to the start of the war. Fortunately for her, that meant Nadeshiko no longer had to attend to the Rookie Nine's table. However, on the flipside, after the first day she hadn't actually been allowed to wait _any_ tables.

Though she'd practically fixed her foot when she'd scurried off to the bathroom, Nadeshiko had made sure to bandage it up as a precaution. Last thing she needed was Miu wondering why her foot was miraculously healed. No one needed to know who she was in the past, and she was committed to keeping it that way. It's not like anyone would believe her anyway; most of the individuals who could vouch for her were either civilians themselves now, or dead.

But, as a result, that also meant Miu was at liberty to demote her to a _desk worker_ since, in her mind, the blonde obviously wouldn't be able to walk well. And as much as she disliked not being able to talk to some of her customers, she admitted that she liked having the ability to people-watch and think.

Unfortunately for Miu, it seemed that no matter what mood she was in, Nadeshiko's new natural expression was that of irritation and displeasure.

From the booth at the front of Nayamashii Tea, Sakura stared intently at the bitter girl with her head slumped on her arm. Her eyes flickered to one of the males' diagonal to her – Sasuke Uchiha – and then returned to the kimono-clad blonde. Though the events of a week ago were a distant memory for most of the present Team 7, Sakura couldn't help but analyze what had happened. _Why had she suddenly become so frightened of Sasuke?_ The pinkette thought curiously, staring back at Sasuke's deep black eyes. _I mean, it's pretty understandable if she's heard anything about him that maybe she'd be afraid of him and what he did in the past. But her expression wasn't normal_ fear, _it looked more like…_

"…ura! Sakura! Hello!" Surprised, Sakura was cut off from her thought process. She sent an agitated glare toward Naruto.

"What is it, Naruto?" she hissed.

"You were totally spaced out!" Naruto laughed, pointing an accusatory finger at her. A blood vessel popped in the girl's forehead and she rubbed her temples in irritation.

As her hand slid down her face, Sakura caught the blonde woman's eyes. Immediately, as if uncomfortable with the fact that she was caught, Nadeshiko turned away from her. Sakura continued to stare at the woman in surprise, earning a curious expression from the blonde male in front of her.

"Whatcha looking at?" Naruto said too loudly, spinning around in the booth seat and peering around at all the tables around them. He lifted his arm and pointed toward someone at one of the tables across the dining room, saying, "Him? Was it him? What about her?"

Before Sakura could respond, Sasuke swatted the excitable ninja's arm away from his face. "Stop yelling, dope. You're attracting unnecessary attention."

"Oh, AM I now?" Naruto yelled back. Sakura groaned as her two comrades began sending heated glares at the each other. The pinkette redirected her eyes to the blonde, who was staring blankly at a painting hanging up on the wall in front of her.

Even with the one second's worth of a glimpse, when her emerald eyes met the blonde's blue orbs, Sakura had her answer.

It was more like _resentment_.

 **xXxXxXx**

"No offense, Shi-chan…" Miu murmured as she wiped down the desk Nadeshiko had been perched at for the last six days. "But you really need to loosen up."

Nadeshiko, whose focus had been on an unusual plant in the corner of the teahouse, slowly turned to face Miu with her dull expression. Her boss visibly shivered and scratched the back of her head uncomfortably.

"No offense!" the young-looking boss squeaked, trying to smile through her discomfort. "There's just something really different about you, even from a week ago. But mostly since before the last time you worked here. You were so cute and full of life back then; you were a favorite of pretty much all of our customers! Now, I feel like every time I catch someone looking at you, they…"

Nadeshiko scoffed and turned away from the girl in front of her. Miu sighed, looking sadly at her friend and running a hand through her dark red hair.

Around them, the other waitresses were either cleaning up their tables or finishing off their last customers. Outside, the sun was beginning to dip behind the trees and the walls surrounding Konoha, and civilians and ninja alike were rushing to and fro to get home for dinner. Nadeshiko watched them intently, wondering where they were all going and who was waiting for them there. Her heart ached as she was deep in thought, ignoring all that Miu was now saying in front of her. As Nadeshiko's expression grew sadder and less agitated, Miu paused her lecture about happiness and its importance in business and her lips formed an O.

Bumping her fist into her other palm, Miu's face lit up excitedly. Her sudden expression change brought Nadeshiko from her thoughts, and the blonde stared at the grinning girl in confusion. Without giving her a chance to question her, Miu spun around and began shouting at the other girls.

"Lia-chan! Megu-chan! Ren-chan!" Miu cheered. The three girls simultaneously spun around from their cleaning to look at their boss in expectance. From behind, Nadeshiko furrowed her brow. _If she's getting them involved now, this cannot be good._

"Yes, Miu?" Lia, a small dark haired girl, asked while picking up her cleaning utensils to return to the backroom. The other two looked questioningly at Nadeshiko, who merely shrugged her shoulders as if to show her own confusion, and made herself a small cup of tea.

"Girls, strip out of your kimonos!" Miu squealed, causing the three waitresses to drop their cleaning materials and Nadeshiko to spit out the tea she'd just begun drinking and flush bright red.

"What?!" the four girls screamed in unision, mortified by their boss's statement.

"We're going out drinking!" Miu squealed, punching the air excitedly.

The other four girls sweat-dropped and Nadeshiko covered her deep frown with her right hand as redness continued to spread across her face. Laughing awkwardly, Ren commented, "You could have mentioned that part first, Miu. I think I speak for everyone in saying you made me a little nervous about where you were going with your previous statement."

Miu giggled, sending her a devious smile. "Gotta keep you on your toes!"

As her blush began to fade away, Nadeshiko turned her attention to Miu with a devious smile of her own, "Are you even old enough to drink sake, Miu? Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more kid friendly…"

While Lia, Megu, Ren, and Nadeshiko burst out laughing, Miu puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest. "Be nice to your elders!" she pouted, sticking her tongue out at her laughing employees and glaring in faux anger at Nadeshiko, who merely grinned back at the childish red-head in front of her. Despite her countenance, Miu fought back the urge to smile at her blonde friend and the glimmer of her old, happier personality.

When everyone had begun to calm down, Miu questioned aloud, "So…? The bar at 20:00? Sound like a plan?"

"Only to see the bartender's expression when you try to order a drink," Nadeshiko winked at her, and the waitresses burst into laughter again as Miu's face turned as red as her hair. Sliding of her perch, Nadeshiko sauntered off to the backroom to collect her things with Lia, Megu, and Ren following suit, all giggling as Miu fumed in the dining area.

"HEY! BE NICE TO YOUR ELDERS!"

 **xXxXxXx**

Nadeshiko left her apartment just before eight and walked out into the dark streets. The bustling crowds of people had calmed since she had returned home from Nayamashii Tea. In the time she'd been home, Nadeshiko had changed into comfy black pants, a light blue three-quarter sleeve shirt that dipped off her shoulders slightly, a light navy jacket that was a few sizes too big for her, and black sandals. Her hair had been released from the messy bun and hung in tired, straight pieces from her crown, and a clump of her bangs swooped down between her eyes in line with her nose.

Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jacket, Nadeshiko strolled in the direction of the Konoha bars. Though the streets were mostly empty, a few unfamiliar individuals walked past her on her journey.

"I wonder," she thought aloud absentmindedly. "What it must be like to have people you don't know recognize you?" Instantly, Nadeshiko paused her walk and snorted, grinning to herself. She added, "What a silly thought."

Suddenly, the blonde became hyperaware of a presence near her and she froze. It was different from the civilians now passing around her; it was familiar. Narrowing her eyes, Nadeshiko peered around carefully, looking for anything out of place or unusual. However, when nothing immediately stuck out to her, she started to walk again, albeit more quickly and eyeing things much more carefully then she had before.

 _Am I being followed?_ She thought cautiously, keeping her eyes narrowed as the feeling of an unusual presence failed to leave her no matter how fast she sped-walked away from where she originally felt it. She continued to move quickly and cautiously until she heard someone yell out to her, breaking her concentration.

"Nadeshiko-chan!" Miu yelled, waving at her flustered friend from the entrance of a bar. The red-head was clad in a white dress and, behind her, Lia, Megu, and Ren wore dresses of their own. Noticing the feeling of being followed had disappeared, Nadeshiko peered again over her shoulder before slowly approaching the group. When she reached them, Miu looked at her disapprovingly, "What are you wearing?"

Nadeshiko arched her brow. "Don't you start with me, baby-face." Miu pouted and stabbed a finger in her employee's side.

"You be nice!" Miu fumed, but immediately returned to her excited countenance. "Come on guys, everyone's here! Let's go in!"

Miu skipped ahead inside, with the other four girls following in tow. They made a beeline to one of the only booths left. Ren, Lia, and Miu sat on one side of the booth and Nadeshiko and Megu sat on the other side. As expected, when a waiter arrived at their table, he was skeptical of Miu's age and refused to serve her unless she showed him some form of identification, causing the four girls to burst into laughter again and Miu to cross her arms over her chest and fume. Eventually, once he was shown proof of Miu's age, the five girls were all given each a shot of sake.

Picking hers up immediately, Miu tossed it in the air and yelled, "To the best group of girls ever! Cheers!" The other four girls followed suit before tossing the straight alcohol back and down their throats. All of their faces contorted in disgust, but bit back the urge to cough.

"Nasty," Nadeshiko commented, wrinkling her nose. The other girls nodded in agreement.

However, that didn't stop Miu from ordering them another round. And another. And another. By the time Miu was finally cut off from the bar, she was practically flopping over onto Ren and Lia. Nadeshiko rested her burning face against her arm and watched her belligerently drunk boss giggle at nothing, much to the other girls' amusement.

Sitting up and leaning forward toward Nadeshiko, Miu slurred, "Besssst ideeea eveeeer, riiight?"

Miu hiccupped and Nadeshiko laughed at her. The blonde responded, "Miu, I think you need to go home. You're way too small to handle the amount of alcohol you consumed tonight."

The little red head puffed her cheeks out and mocked, "'You're too small to handle it' blah, blah, blah…" Miu continued to stare away from her and Nadeshiko rolled her eyes. It was definitely time to take that girl home. However, just as she was preparing to signal at the other girls to grab their spunky red-headed friend, Miu's face turned a deeper red and added, "Ooh, he's _cute_!"

Nadeshiko rolled her eyes and waved a hand in Miu's face. "Snap out of it, Miu. Not to mention, it's rude to stare. I think it's time to–"

She paused, as she felt the same feeling from earlier creep up on her. Gulping, Nadeshiko narrowed her eyes and peered over Miu's head at the booths behind her, trying to locate who was causing this feeling. All the while Miu continued to mumble about a cute guy that was supposedly sitting somewhere behind Nadeshiko. As the feeling began to feel closer and more suffocating, something Miu was saying caught her attention.

"He's cooooming!" she squealed, falling back against Megu. "He's coming, he's coming!"

 _It's him!_

However, as she realized it, the man Miu was gushing over was right above her. Nadeshiko was frozen in her spot; however, she could vaguely see the attire the man next to her wore. Black pants, black gloves, tan jacket, white shirt, signature cross necklace… Nadeshiko hands balled into fists in her lap and her jaw clenched as realization hit her. This man wasn't just familiar.

"Not even gunna greet me back?" His voice was just as cool, big-headed, and self-righteous as she remembered it and it made her nose wrinkle more than the alcohol had. "That's no way to treat a teammate. We know that better than anyone. Right, Nadeshiko?"

Miu, Lia, Megu, and Ren were all staring at Nadeshiko in confusion, and she knew she couldn't keep ignoring him forever. Taking a deep breath, the blonde girl raised her head and sent the man an icy glare. He stood with his hand cocked on his hip, medium length straight blonde hair framing his face and partially covering his blue eyes, a smirk decorating his lips, and a black Konoha hitai-ate adorning his forehead. To people who didn't know better, they looked like they may have been twins.

He wasn't just some familiar face or an oblivious civilian. No, he knew more about her than anyone else alive. And at that moment, she would have done anything to not be recognized.

"Hello, Shinjiro."

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Sorry for the (in my opinion) late update. I'd wanted to get one out last week, but a lot went down between myself and my college roommate involving a threat to my safety so… I've been a bit preoccupied.**

 **Anyway! Here's Shin! I think you guys will really like him. His appearance is actually based off Snow from Final Fantasy 13, if you want a better visualization. I'm so excited to write about him. Also, Lia, Megu, and Ren aren't important characters at all so feel free to just disregard them ^^**

 **For the rest of the story, this will kinda be like… two stories in one. This is obvious a Post-Shippuuden story. However, there will be some chapters dedicated to flashbacks from when the Misfit 18 and Rookie 9 were younger (the original Naruto through Shippuuden). I'm telling you this because next chapter will most likely be a flashback. And (obviously) I will let you know in the chapter when it jumps back to five years ago. I just think it's important, to really understand all the characters – canon and my original characters – and the interactions between them, as well as why they are the way they are now.**

 **Finally, THANK YOU to all who have favorited, followed, and commented on this story! I really super appreciate it. I'm so excited for this story, because I feel like it's a take no one has really ever done. So yes! Thank you so incredibly much, your feedback means the world to me.**

 **Author note done! Sayonara!**


	4. Team 2

**A/N: Before I start, I wanted to make you all aware of two – that's right, TWO – other stories/side-projects I'll be working on when I have writer's block for this one. The first one (which already has a chapter up!) is called** **The Orchid and the Rose** **, which is a K Project fanfiction. If you've never heard of it, I suggest watching it! It's really good, and one of my OCs is based off my favorite character in it (who happens to be one of the love interests of that story!).**

 **The other story I'll be working on is (maybe) going to be called** **The Anachronism** **, which will be a Naruto ITACHIxOC story (cue swooning and fainting). It'll be an AU story about how, when Itachi died in the ninja world, he ended up being dropped into the real world/our world where he, beaten and bloodied, is found by a university student. So, basically kinda like the opposite of the "I Died and Somehow Ended Up in the Ninja World" stories. Probably super cliché but we all need that sometimes.**

 **Sound interesting? Let me know!**

 **FINALLY – my story** **Rule of Rose** **is up for adoption. It was supposed to be either an ItachixOC or a DeidaraxOC, but I never got passed chapter one... So yeah. That's all for my self-promoting. Haha.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: All canon characters from the** _ **Naruto**_ **franchise belong to Masashi Kishimoto. All original characters belong to me. Thank you!**

* * *

 **In The Shadows**

 _Chapter 3: Team 2_

* * *

 **5 Years Ago**

" _Team 2…" Iruka called, eyes glued to the sheet of paper in his hands. "Nadeshiko Yamato, Akihiko Surada, and Shinjiro Yuki!"_

In the back of Iruka's classroom, a twelve-year old Nadeshiko sat with her head in her hands, staring intently at the five individuals in front of her. After lunch had ended, all of the new graduates were met with their sensei and left to do who-knows-what.

Unfortunately, that didn't include Nadeshiko's sensei. However, without her two lifelines Rei and Hanako, Nadeshiko did not feel at liberty to voice her concerns. Luckily, her two teammates and one of Team 7 had that covered for her.

"He's late!" the blonde, orange-jumpsuit-clad Naruto groaned, peering outside into the hall.

"Naruto," Sakura responded, leaning against one of the desks. "Stay still."

Nadeshiko stared enviously through her long bangs at the pink-haired ninja. She had always looked up to her classmate; Sakura was intelligent, opinionated, outgoing, pretty…everything Nadeshiko wished she could be. Even her clothes were better than Nadeshiko's simple black leggings and loose blue tunic. Not to mention, she was placed on a team with _Sasuke Uchiha_.

The blonde girl's heart skipped a beat and her cheek flushed cherry red as her eyes trailed over to the stoic, black-haired boy sitting quietly in a desk behind Naruto. Though Hana and Rei always cheered her on, Nadeshiko had accepted that she would probably never have the courage to speak to him. He was just too _perfect_. And, he's so popular with the girls that realistically, he could have anyone in the world if he wanted. He was just that incredible.

 _And,_ Nadeshiko thought, slowly removing her gaze from her crush, _that brings me to my teammates…_

In the desk Sakura was leaning against, a boy with shaggy blonde hair sat back with his legs propped up on the table's top. He wore a tan colored jacket, white T-shirt, black baggy pants, and a cross necklace. His eyes had been closed the entire time since they'd returned to the classroom, listening to what everyone around him had to say, but not particularly commenting on anything.

Across from him, leaning against the stark white wall, another boy with fiery red, slicked back hair had kept completely to himself. He wore a fitted black tee and similar black pants to the blonde in the desk. Both wore their hitai-ate tightly around their forehead.

From what Nadeshiko could recall from their time in class together, they were both fairly mysterious, almost unapproachable people. However, though the blonde seemed intimidating, the red-head was at a whole other level. And, just like Sasuke, they were fairly popular with the female students in the class. Even so, Nadeshiko had no clue who was who, as she generally kept to herself.

That is, until they finally spoke.

"Dear God," the blonde groaned, slinking down further into his seat and catching the attention of everyone in the room, excluding the red-head. "Give me loser teammates _and_ a loser sensei? That's a bit cruel."

Nadeshiko took in a quick breath. _Loser teammate? He doesn't even know me…_

"'Loser teammates', huh?" the smooth voice of the red-head questioned, staring blankly out the side window. "Sounds like you're trying to compensate for something, Shin."

The blonde boy – Shinjiro – immediate sat up and growled. "Wanna say that again, punk? I'll take you on right here, right now!"

"What are we, five?" the red-head, presumably Akihiko, shot back, turning to face Shinjiro. "I don't need to prove anything to you or anyone here."

"Then take me on! Unless you're _scared_?"

"The only thing I'm afraid of is your head erupting from the size of your ego."

"SAY THAT AGAIN!"

"Uh…" Nadeshiko muttered from her seat, trying to gain the courage she'd seen Sakura use to tell Naruto what to do. "Maybe you guys should…"

The blonde boy flipped around in his seat to look about at the shy blonde girl. "STAY OUT OF THIS!"

Nadeshiko's face dropped and heat immediately erupted all across her body. _It's like the world is out to get me…_ Nadeshiko cried internally. From below, Sakura looked sadly up at the clearly discouraged girl, remembering when she herself was once that reserved. However, even she was smart enough to know trying to get involved in Shinjiro and Akihiko's banter was pointless; they were both probably just as stubborn as Naruto and Sasuke.

Before the two boys of Team 2 could continue bickering, the side door – which Naruto had closed briefly after Shinjiro began complaining – immediately flew open. Six heads turned simultaneous in hopes of their sensei's arrival.

Upon seeing the woman standing in the doorframe, four faces turned bright red and two averted their eyes uncomfortably.

 _You have got to be kidding me…_ Akihiko thought, choosing to stare out the window again and away from the woman.

 _This has to be some kind of joke…_ Sasuke groaned, close his eyes and leaning into his hands.

 _There is a God!_ Shinjiro cheered internally, practically drooling.

 _Th-Those… can't be real…can they?_ Sakura flushed, suddenly feeling very self-conscious of her own body.

 _Eep…!_ Nadeshiko's face turned the deepest shade of red yet, and she covered her face with hands.

For once, Naruto's mind went completely blank as his vision caught sight of the black-haired jounin in front of him and his cheeks flushed pink. The woman wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and her black hair in a loose side braid. Though she wore the same green vest as Iruka and many of the other sensei, it was unzipped and revealed a fairly low-cut shirt and large breasts, which were currently the center of everyone's attention.

The woman pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Man, Kakashi is later than me again!" Sighing, she peered at the uncomfortable group of new ninja. "Alright. Anyway, Team 2, you're all mine!"

As she spun around, Sakura and Shinjiro outward cheered, while Akihiko and Nadeshiko blanched. _Yeah, someone out there definitely hates me…_ Nadeshiko thought, feeling self-conscious as she trailed behind her team and passed by a relieved Sakura, a stoic Sasuke, and a still-frozen Naruto to wait for their own sensei.

 **xXxXxXx**

Nadeshiko sat uncomfortably between Shinjiro and Akihiko on one side of the restaurant booth, while their supposed sensei sat on the other side sipping at a cup of tea. To her left, Shinjiro was practically still drooling at the woman's appearance; to her right, Akihiko was staring at a painting on the wall next to them. Nadeshiko herself was only able to stare at her hands in her lap.

"So, are we going to actually do anything or no?"

Setting the tea cup down gingerly, the black haired woman leaned back into the booth and looked at Akihiko. Smiling, she commented, "You're a peachy one, aren't you?"

A blood vessel burst in his forehead, but he didn't respond.

Clearing her throat, the woman turned to face the rest of the group, "It's a pleasure to meet you all! My name is Ayame Honda and I will be your sensei. The reason I brought you all out here is just so we can get to know each other!"

Nadeshiko perked up. She liked the sound of that, seeing as she barely knew anything about her teammates, much less her sensei. Before she could speak up, Ayame continued to talk.

"Allow me to go first," the dark haired woman offered, placing a hand on her chest. "As I said, my name is Ayame Honda. I am a jounin here in Konoha. I am a fan of herbal teas and books. My dreams aren't really any of your business…" She thought for a moment, before remembering something and place an index finger delicate on her cheek. "Oh, and I hate men! Such animals!"

The three genin sweat-dropped, and this statement seemed to knock Shinjiro from his swoon. Ayame laughed cheerily and pointed to Akihiko. "Well, you're first sweetie!"

"My name is Akihiko Surada," the red-headed stated, staring back at the painting intently. "I'm not really sure how to answer the other questions; I'd never really thought of them nor do I feel at the liberty to disclose any information about myself to a bunch of strangers."

While Ayame and Nadeshiko sweat-dropped, Shinjiro sent a smug grin in Akihiko's direction. He commented, "Nah, you're just a deadbeat who's afraid to take me on 'cause you know you'll lose!"

Without turning to face him, Akihiko retorted, "I have no idea what that has to do with anything. But at least I'm not an obnoxious child who stares at –"

Shinjiro reached over across Nadeshiko to grab the neck of Akihiko's shirt. "WHY I OUGHTA…!" Beneath him, Nadeshiko squealed and fell against Akihiko, who still refused to look at Shinjiro but inwardly smirked. On the other side of the table, Ayame rubbed the back of her head and laughed awkwardly.

"Uhh…boys…" she murmured, trying to think of a way to calm the blonde boy down. "Shinjiro, was it? You're crushing the girl between you guys…"

When Shinjiro finally backed off from Akihiko and a discombobulated Nadeshiko could sit up again, Ayame told Shinjiro he could go next.

Clearing his throat, the blonde boy exclaimed, "The name's Shinjiro Yuki! I love to practice my techniques with my dad every chance I get, and I hate it when my mom makes me wash the dishes after dinner! One day, I want to marry a beautiful woman who cooks great, and also have a squad of genin of my own that'll look up to me!"

Ayame smiled at him. "Thank you Shinjiro! Now, if no one has any comments…" She eyed Akihiko, who was still staring absentmindedly at the painting, as if he hadn't paid any attention at all to Shinjiro's introduction. When she was sure he wasn't going to try and instigate a fight as the blonde had done to him, Ayame smile at Nadeshiko. "…Then, I think it's your turn!"

Nadeshiko blushed, unaccustomed to having to speak to a bunch of people she didn't really know. Gulping, she looked down at her hands and began, "Well… My name is Nadeshiko Yamato. I… Well, I mean, I like being with my friends Hana and Rei, and my family. There… really isn't a lot I don't like. I don't think I can think of things I don't like… But my dream is to one day be able to help a lot of people. Then, maybe, I won't be so…unrecognizable. I want people to see me and appreciate me, to be of use to someone…" The blonde's words tapered off as she began drawing circles on her thigh with her finger. Next to her, neither of the boys said anything, each looking in their own separate direction as if in deep thought.

In front of them, Ayame studied the three diametrically different individuals. She wasn't sure that they could be any more different, or any less compatible. Crossing her arms over her chest, she wondered if they'd be able to pass the final test, or if they'd be sent back to the Academy like fifteen other graduates.

Returning the smile to her face, Ayame exclaimed, "Well, that pretty much ends this meeting! Tomorrow, we'll be meeting again at the training grounds for one last test!" The three genin all turned to face her now, suddenly interested in what she was saying.

"Test?" Shinjiro repeated incredulously. "You mean, after all the tests we had to do in the Academy, we have to do _another_ one?!" Ayame smiled and nodded.

"Yup!" she confirmed, cocking her head to the side. "A survival exercise. No pressure, but of the twenty-seven of you that just graduated from the Academy, only nine of you will actually be recognized as genin. The remaining eighteen will be sent back to the Academy! So, in other worse, this isn't just 'another test' – the failure rate of this exercise typically well exceeds 66%!"

Nadeshiko's, Shinjiro's, and Akihiko's faces dropped. They were amazed their sensei was able to say all of that with a smile still painted on her lips.

Realizing she had stunned them into silence, Ayame laughed, "I said no pressure!"

"How are we not supposed to feel the pressure when you say something like that?!" Shinjiro yelled, throwing his arms in the air and covering his face with them.

Akihiko snorted, turning away and commenting, "For someone who's picked a fight with me all day and claims to spar with his father all the time, you seem pretty discouraged. What happened to your tough guy act?"

"SAY THAT AGAIN!" Shinjiro yelled, scrambling over Nadeshiko again toward a secretly amused Akihiko.

"What, are you deaf too?"

"WHY I OUGHTA…!"

"Eep!" Nadeshiko squealed, as she was again crushed between her two teammates.

Across the table, Ayame sweat-dropped again and rubbed the back of her head. She didn't want to admit it, but the three genin greatly amused her. However, even then, before the start of the survival exercise, she already knew her team's fate.

 **xXxXxXx**

When the next day came, it went just as Ayame had assume: badly. The moment two bells were mentioned, Shinjiro was determined to make sure Akihiko didn't get one and, to instigate him, Akihiko was just as determined to get them both as well. In the middle of the chaos around her, Nadeshiko wasn't sure what her place was with the two boys and when the exercise started, found herself on the outside the entire time. While Shinjiro and Akihiko came at Ayame separately and unsuccessfully, Nadeshiko absentmindedly wandered off through the forest and managed to never once come into contact with Shinjiro and Akihiko, much less Ayame.

By the end of the exercise, it was painfully clear that they all lacked, in both their relationship with each other and just a basic understanding of, teamwork. At the very mention of the word, Shinjiro couldn't help but ask why in God's name she expected him to work with the other two, much to Akihiko's chagrin and Nadeshiko's dismay.

"Because they're your _team_!" Ayame yelled in exasperation. "Why do you think you're put on three-man teams? Because you can't do this alone. Because on the battlefield, they will be the only other people you know will have your back. Because in the end, during one incredibly difficult mission, you'll be forced to make some horrible decisions that no person should ever have to make. They aren't just some expendable commodity; they're part of you, part of this team! And if you three don't understand this concept, then you missed the most important lesson that was taught in the Academy."

And, just as quickly as they became ninja, they were no longer.

* * *

 **Team 2, Take 1: A complete and absolute failure!**

 **So, I want your opinions: Do you like that I'm doing it like this, with the flashbacks included every so often? They probably won't come every other chapter or anything, just when something happens along the main story line which then requires a bit of back-exposition from their younger days.**

 **Also, do you all like the lengths of these chapters? Are they long enough? Too short? Too long?**

 **So there's some big names for this story: obviously Shinjiro and Nadeshiko, but now there's Ayame and Akihiko. I wonder what role they'll play in the story… Hmm! Following suit with last chapter, Akihiko's appearance is based loosely off Mikoto Suoh from K. And Ayame…is fairly self-explanatory haha! Anyway, there's only like, I think one more OC that will have a pretty integral role in the story. As far as the other… 13-ish Misfit 18, I'm trying to decide how/if I'm going to include their stories as well or just focus on the five who have some importance to the main story.**

 **Anyway! That's all I have for today folks. Hope you liked! Sayonara!**


End file.
